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by Richard S. Moseson, W2VU, Editor, CQ magazine
Welcome to ham radio, the world's most fascinating hobby! We're glad you're interested and will be pleased to help answer your questions and point you in the right direction for more information. Since many prospective hams ask similar questions, we'll try to address some of the most common here. WHAT IS HAM RADIO ALL ABOUT? Ham radio is many different things to many different people. But even if you already have some idea already of what it's about, you may not have the "big picture." That's because ham radio--known formally as "amateur radio" -- is actually several different hobbies folded into one. There's the "talking with people in faraway places" hobby; the "keep me company while I'm commuting" hobby; the "put your computer on the air" hobby; the "public service and emergency communications" hobby; the television hobby, the satellite hobby and so on. All of these hobbies-within-a-hobby share certain things in common: 1) ham radio is basically about people -- people using technology to make contact with other people; 2) Amateur radio is for personal communications only; business use is prohibited; 3) it's a LOT of fun! CQ Communications offers a broad-brush introduction to the people and activities of ham radio in an award-winning video titled "Ham Radio Horizons" (now part of our "Ham Radio Welcome Pak" DVD). It will expand YOUR horizons about our hobby, and it's available from our online store. WHY ARE HAMS CALLED "HAMS"? You'll hear lots of stories about why amateur radio operators are called "hams," but there is no proof for any of the competing claims, and the simple truth is that no one knows for sure. What we do know is this: regardless of its source, the "ham" label is worn with pride by radio amateurs around the world. HOW MANY HAMS ARE THERE? Worldwide, amateur radio operators number in the millions. There are over 600,000 licensed amateurs in the United States, and more than 25,000 in Canada. Each one has a unique "callsign" issued by his/her government. No two hams share the same callsign. HOW DO I BECOME A HAM? In order to operate a ham radio, you need an Amateur Radio license. Each country has its own rules and procedures regarding amateur licenses. In the United States, ham licenses are issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the following information applies to the US only: There are three amateur radio license classes available in the United States, the entry-level Technician Class, the mid-level General Class, and the top-level Extra Class. Ham licenses are earned by passing fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice exams, which are offered regularly by volunteers across the country. There is no longer a Morse code requirement for any level of U.S. Amateur Radio license. The "pools" of questions from which the exams are made -- along with their correct answers -- are printed in virtually every license manual. Even so, you'll need to study in order to pass. Why are licenses needed? Radio signals travel great distances and improperly-adjusted transmitters could cause interference to other radio services. It's important that hams, who are permitted to transmit with high power, understand the basics of how radios work and how radio signals behave. Hams are also encouraged to design and build their own gear (although there's plenty of commercially-built equipment available if that's not your thing), and again, it's important to have a basic knowledge of electronic circuits before trying to design a radio! Don't worry, though, the tests start out quite easy. The Technician Class license is the most popular way to start. It gives you full access to all ham radio frequencies and activities above 50 MHz (the VHF & UHF bands), as well as limited access to the high-frequency, or HF, bands below 30 MHz. Things you can do on VHF and UHF include FM repeaters (automatic relay stations), computer-to-computer "packet radio," on-air contests, amateur TV, amateur satellites and even things like "moonbounce," microwave and laser communications. Long-distance communications, also called "DX," may be "worked" on satellites and the 6-meter band. A Technician license also gets you voice privileges on part of the 10-meter band (28.3-28.5 MHz), plus Morse code privileges on the 80, 40, 15 and 10 meter bands. Passing a 35-question test to upgrade from Technician to General Class will give you operating privileges - including voice - on all amateur frequency bands. Another written exam for Extra Class gives you all privileges on all ham radio bands. Many radio clubs and other groups offer licensing and upgrading courses, and a variety of study guides are commercially available. (Two of the most popular guides, the ARRL's "Ham Radio License Manual" and Gordon West's "Technician Class 2006-2010" guide, are available from CQ and from many ham dealers.) The ARRL also offers licensing guides on videotape. HOW AND WHERE DO I TAKE MY TEST? Ham radio license exams are given by trained volunteers across the country. These Volunteer Examiners (VEs) work under the umbrella of one or more Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs), who actually prepare the exams and submit your completed paperwork electronically to the FCC. Licenses are issued by the FCC itself, usually within a few weeks after you pass your license exam. Your license is valid as soon as it appears on the FCC's online database. You do not have to wait for your paper license to arrive before operating as long as your callsign is listed on the FCC database. VE sessions are held at convenient times and locations in every state. Most are in the evenings or on weekends. Special sessions may also be arranged for test candidates with special needs who may be unable to get to a regularly scheduled sessions. Many examiner groups hold monthly or bi-monthly sessions. There is a nominal fee for taking the exam, which is set each year by the FCC. The 2008 fee is $14.00. Lists of upcoming test sessions in your area are available on request from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) at 1-800-32-NEWHAM or by e-mail to [email protected]. Ask for their Prospective Ham Package and be sure to include your name and mailing address. (If you live near a state line, request listings for the adjacent state, as well.) The package is free. In addition to the exam lists, the ARRL package will include a list of ham radio clubs and registered instructors in your area. You may also search online for upcoming exams in your area on the ARRL website at <http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml>. WHAT IS THE ARRL? AND WHY ARE THEY GIVING THIS STUFF AWAY? The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) is the major national organization of ham radio operators in the United States, with more than 160,000 members, a nationwide volunteer "field organization," public service and emergency networks, Washington representation and much, much more. Every active ham should belong to the ARRL. One of the ARRL's goals is to promote the growth of amateur radio. Providing free information packets to prospective hams is one part of those efforts. WHAT IS CQ? AND WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME ALL THIS INFORMATION? CQ Communications, Inc. is a major publisher of magazines, books, videos and other materials for the ham radio and hobby communications markets. We also want to do our part to encourage growth in ham radio, and to help inform and educate our readers and viewers. A brief description of our major publications & products follows: CQ: THE RADIO AMATEUR'S JOURNAL CQ has been serving amateur radio since 1945. CQ's primary focus is on ham radio operating activities, although it also includes technical articles, construction projects and ham radio news, as well as two regular columns focused on the new ham. We believe CQ is the most readable, most interesting, ham magazine in print today. THE CQ LIBRARY - CQ publishes its own books and DVDs on ham radio. For a guide to the current selection, see our online store. More information on CQ products is also available by calling our toll-free order line at 1-800-853-9797 (US only; elsewhere, dial direct: 516-681-2922 / fax: 516-681-2926); or by e-mail to [email protected]. For a FREE SAMPLE COPY (mailto: [email protected]) of CQ Magazine, simply click on the link and send us an e-mail message with your name, callsign and mailing address, along with a request for a free sample, and we'll put a recent issue in the mail to you. Only one sample magazine per person, please. We hope this has answered some or all of your questions about ham radio. If you have other, more specific, questions, you'll find plenty of experts online or in your local radio club. Good luck and "73" ("hamspeak" for "best wishes"), The staff of CQ Communications CQ COMMUNICATIONS, INC., 17 West John St., Hicksville, New York 11801 USA, CQ - 'The Authority on Amateur Radio' for more than 70 years. Five years ago, on CQ's 60th anniversary, we ran a feature throughout the year titled "60 Great Things About Ham Radio," in which we listed five "great things" each month. The series was quite popular and we have continued to receive requests to reprint it. So now, in honor of our 65th anniversary, we're repeating the list—with a few updates as well as five more "Great Things About Ham Radio." Permission is hereby granted to reprint this list in amateur radio club newsletters, provided credit is given to CQ magazine. Online editions must include a link to the CQ website,http://www.cq-amateur-radio.com. 1. It works when nothing else does
2. It makes you part of a worldwide community 3. The opportunity to help neighbors by providing public service and emergency communications 4. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet 5. Some of the smartest people you'll ever meet 6. Some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet 7. Some of the most generous people you'll ever meet (along with some of the cheapest!) 8. Lifelong friendships 9. Friends around the world (including those you haven't met yet) 10. The opportunity to go interesting places you might not otherwise go to 11. The opportunity to do interesting things you might not otherwise get to do 12. The opportunity to expand your knowledge of geography 13. The opportunity to expand your knowledge of earth and space science 14. Practical uses for high school math 15. Practical uses for high school physics 16. A good way to practice a foreign language 17. A good way to keep in touch with faraway friends and relatives 18. A good way to get driving directions when visiting someplace new (with or without GPS) 19. A good way to find the best places to eat when visiting someplace new (with or without GPS) 20. Finding "non-touristy" off-the-beaten-path places to stay, eat, visit, etc. 21. A good way to learn about virtually any topic 22. A good way to bridge the generation gap 23. A good way to keep tabs on elderly/infirm people 24. People named Joe (Walsh, Rudi, Taylor) 25. How many of your non-ham friends have actually talked to someone in some remote place such as Cape Verde or the Seychelles? 26. How many of your non-ham friends might have talked to an astronaut aboard the space station? 27. How many of your non-ham neighbors might have a satellite uplink station in their basements—or in the palms of their hands? 28. How many of your non-ham neighbors might have a TV studio in their garage? 29. What other hobby group has designed, built, and had launched its own fleet of communication satellites? 30. Where else can you play with meteors? 31. Moonbounce 32. Informal way to improve technical skills 33. Informal way to improve communication skills 34. Introduces a variety of career paths 35. Offers unparalleled opportunities for career networking 36. Opportunities for competition in contesting and foxhunting 37. A good way to collect really cool postcards from around the world (despite the growth of electronic confirmations) 38. Nearly endless variety of different things to do, on and off the air 39. Hamfests 40. Dayton 41. Field Day 42. Working DX 43. Being DX 44. DXpeditions 45. Contesting 46. Award-chasing 47. Double-hop sporadic-E 48. Worldwide DX on 6 meters (once or twice every 11 years) [The current extended sunspot minimum has shown that mechanisms other than F2 propagation can offer intercontinental DX on the "magic band" at any point in the solar cycle.] 49. Tropospheric ducting 50. Gray-line propagation 51. TEP, chordal hops, etc. 52. Getting through on CW when nothing else will 53. Unexpected band openings 54. Building your own gear 55. Using gear you've built yourself 56. Operating QRP from some remote location 57. Experimenting with antennas 58. Working DX while mobile or while hiking 59. Experimenting with new modes and new technology 60. The opportunity to help build an internet that doesn't rely on the internet 61. DXing on your HT via IRLP and Echolink 62. Contributing to scientific knowledge about propagation 63. Keeping track of other people's GPS units via APRS 64. Ham radio balloon launches to the edge of space, and as always... 65. Reading CQ! 1. Being Aware of Local Emergencies
You can add your local enforcement channels to your ham radio (illegal to talk on but can listen). This will give you up to date information as it is happening and not having to wait on a News Channel to report it. This helps when there is a wreck, shooting, and chemical spill to name a few. You don't want to travel to a location just to be stuck in traffic cause of something you could of already had the information on before hand. 2. Staying Connect When Disaster Strikes Helps you stay up to date with local emergencies and world wide emergencies channels of Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, and other disasters that may occur. Having a ham radio with all the emergencies channels is a very helpful and informational piece of everyday life. If you are a member of the Red Cross, CERT, ARES, RACE, or any other emergency agencies and the disaster occurs and lines are down they still can contact you. You will be able to help individuals and tell the emergency agencies listed above where you are located and what type of help is needed at that location. 3. It Is a Skill to Learn and Maintain You have to take test and get your license to operate an amateur radio aka ham radio. You can go to any store and buy the radio but it is illegal to use it with out the proper licenses. Ham radio is like driving a vehicle. You can obtain a car and drive it but you get fines and tickets driving without a license, that same goes for ham radios. You can obtain a ham radio and talk on it but you will be fined for illegal talking on it. 4. Communication Around the World and Beyond Ham operators are located all around the world and beyond. You can communicate with each other with your ham radio and using you call sign (you obtain this after getting your license). It is a cheap way to meet new individuals with same interest and talk physically like on a telephone but not the fees. You are not limited on how long you talk besides for the lifespan of your battery. You can communicate with the space station or astronauts at different given times. Ex: You can be sitting in your home in Texas and talk to an individual in Spain over your ham radio. 5. It is Cost Efficiently Ham radios is an affordable hobby. You can purchase a basic radio for around $30 to start up. The test only cost around $15 and renew every 10 years unless you want to go from your current license to a higher license. You can even start cheaper by using programs on your smart phone or computer is you not interested in purchasing a radio. A computer program lot of ham radio operators use is EchoLink. Common smart phone programs are HamSphere and EchoLink for androids. 6. Local Clubs and Virtual Clubs There are local clubs all around. Joining a club with other ham radio operators give you the ability to communicate with each other more easier and a club can work together to help out individuals in need. Clubs are a fun way to show your skill and learn new skills from others. It makes it more fun then just a hobby. If you prefer you can join what is called a virtual club aka online club. This option helps the ham operators who have a busy lifestyle. It offers the same benefits as a local club, just has a little bit more flexibility. If interested in a local or virtual club contact us here at L.D.A.R.K. and we will help you locate a club suited for you. |
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